As winter, with its occasional bouts of sunshine-accompanied merriment and invariable frosty spells, gives way to a lovely spring and summer, the transition to toastier weather warrants a little celebration. And what better way to usher in the longer hours of sunlight than a meditative jaunt to the heart of California’s wine country? These two resorts and spas offer couples and families a pas de deux with nature and the promise of a good night’s sleep. Tucked away from the tried-and-true tourist arteries, Silverado Resort and Spa and the Villagio Inn and Spa offer legendary poshness, unpretentious customer service, and wellness programs that are enough to give anybody pleasantly glazed-over eyes.
Napa’s Silverado Resort has been a go-to luxury hotspot for decades. With a centerpiece mansion built in the 1870s, it boasts an effortless elegance that has attracted all kinds of travelers – from lovesick honeymooners canoodling over wine on their private patios, to families in search of activities for the kids and adults alike.
Silverado Resort and Spa
Napa, California
Pass on the banal wine country options and head over to a special spot nestled deep within the rolling vineyards of Napa Valley complete with tranquil, lushly manicured landscapes and a clean sophistication that doesn’t play itself up with unnecessary extravagance.
Napa’s Silverado resort has been a go-to luxury hotspot for decades. With a centerpiece mansion built in the 1870s, it boasts an effortless elegance that has attracted all kinds of travelers – from lovesick honeymooners canoodling over wine on their private patios, to families in search of activities for the kids and adults alike. in fact, as my partner and i walked up to the reception area of Silverado, we were struck by the age ranges of the guests; children scuttled around the main lounge, while their parents and other groups of adults sipped champagne from long-stemmed flutes, awaiting the resort’s wine hour on the glass-enclosed portico overlooking the grounds.
Thankfully, the resort is so spread out that few guests have to worry about sharing space with gaggles of other people. Silverado contains 280 condo units and private cottage suites, two restaurants, 17 tennis courts, and 10 outdoor pools. Silverado also has two highly vaunted 18-hole golf courses, with several water crossings and 360 acres of tree-lined fairways to show off.
Of course, given the roomy accommodations, chilling by the wood-burning fireplace or stepping onto your patio for an après-lunch cocktail or a glass of wine can be just as nice. a full kitchen and dining area, as well as an overall ambience of home-style comfort, made our suite feel nice and restful. For dining options, guests can head to the Grill at Silverado, with its local, sustainable offerings.
Granted, any visit to Silverado would be incomplete without checking out the 16,000-square-foot spa across the street, which boasts plenty of decadent spa treatments (with a special eye on local ingredients, which are integrated into many of the therapies), outdoor whirlpools galore, a heated lap pool, a salon, and a fitness room. melt your stresses away with one of many choice treatments; the 80-minute massage with handcrafted olive oil, seaweed body wrap, custom body mask, and Chardonnay sugar scrub are among some of the favorites. a new 2012 spa menu offered by recently appointed spa director Suzy Bordeaux-johlfs offers relaxation seekers a hedonistic set of skin and body care rituals, fitness classes, and eco-friendly services. the spa utilizes luxurious vegan and organic product lines, including Sparitual (for nails), Davines (for hair), and Eminence Organics (for facials and massages). and of course, wellness seekers can try out some of their complimentary mind/body fitness classes, including yoga and meditation.
Weekend resort trips might seem like they’re for the privileged or at least, those who’ve been cushioned from the economy and its harsh moratorium on extravagant spending but Silverado is also for the practical-minded. Family extended stay packages slash 25% of the cost of accommodations and activities, and seasonal rates and special packages allay the sting of penny-pinching considerably.
Melt your stresses away with one of many choice treatments; the 80- minute massage with handcrafted olive oil, seaweed body wrap, custom body mask, and Chardonnay sugar scrub are among some of the favorites.
Villagio Inn and Spa
Yountville, California
Yountville may well be one of the most picturesque little towns in California. Nestled amid 500 acres of vineyards, this Napa Valley hollow boasts a bevy of delights: wine tasting, boutiques, bike tours and hot air balloon rides over a patchwork of balmy territory. and of course, epicurean hideaways like the delectable French laundry lurk around every vineyard or olive grove. For overnight hedonism in Yountville, the Villagio inn and Spa is the town’s most illustrious pick. this estate—which also harbors a state-of-the art fitness center and spa is chock-full of plush appointments. the suites are surrounded by Tuscan-inspired courtyards, fountains, olive groves, and tasteful replicas of roman ruins. it’s the kind of place made for voluptuaries and paramours. the suites also appeal to the senses, with their opulent French fabrics, vaulted ceilings, enormous sunken bathtubs, and private balconies overlooking the Napa Valley.
After uncorking a bottle of wine and sitting down with your sweetheart before a wood-burning fireplace, you may be loath to seek indulgence beyond the intimacy of your suite. But aside from Villagio’s champagne brunches and afternoon teas, the spa is the best reason to step outside. Of course, you can always ask for an in-room massage, but any treatment at the Villagio is best experienced in the serene refuge of the spa.
A roomy yet cushy fixture full of warm, neutral colors and lush background music, the spa is a place full of unique treatments with the purpose of making you feel one with nature. it is a beautiful, earthy haven influenced by the restorative attributes of Napa Valley from plant and flower essences to grape seeds, to local herbs and clays. the spa is overtly suffused with the Mediterranean’s rejuvenating elixirs, and this is nowhere more evident than in the body treatments.
It’s the kind of place made for voluptuaries and paramours. the suites also appeal to the senses, with their opulent French fabrics, vaulted ceilings, enormous sunken bathtubs, and private balconies overlooking the Napa Valley.
One of the Villagio’s most hedonistic appointments is their five spa suites, which range from 300 to 852 square feet and bear names like “aqua” and “Stags leap.” Couples can opt for a treatment and stick around for healthy and delectable spa refreshments and a private journey complete with their own steam room, outdoor baths, flat-screen tV, wood-burning fireplace, and other luxurious amenities. Some of the therapeutic spa “rituals” that pleasure seekers can opt for include “Breathe: a journey to Breathe away Stress” and “together: a romantic ritual of Pleasure.” Spa rituals include choices of scent (lavender and rose, eucalyptus and cypress, basil and geranium, or lemon and orange), sound (music selections from a Bose surround sound system), and sight selections (artwork on the flat-screen monitor that includes abstract impressionism and ambient Calm).
Other spa favorites include custom exfoliants made with ingredients such as Himalayan salt, oats, ground coffee, wild honey, grape seed oil, and organic sugar. and because the Villagio emphasizes the therapeutic and healing properties of bathing, dating back to the communal baths of ancient rome and Greece, they offer unique elixir soaks for spa traditionalists, paired with a specialty cocktail. a bath butler administers treatments by infusing infinity tubs with a lavish concoction of herbs, minerals, milk, or mud.
With the spa’s array of temptations, it would be easy to forego Napa Valley’s other delights and lose oneself in hours of pampering. Yet the Villagio distills all the beauty and magic of wine country with offerings such as its V marketplace, a collection of lifestyle shops, galleries, and wine cellars; and Bottega, home to the sumptuous italian cuisine of internationally renowned Chef michael Chiarello, so you needn’t ever venture outside its bounds.
